Justin B. Terry-Smith has been involved in Gay and HIV Activism since 1999. He is an Air Force 9/11 Disabled Vet. Raised in Silver Spring, MD, he now lives in Severn, MD with his husband Phil. He writes an HIV/STI Advice Column for A&U Magazine, is a Contributing writer for thebody.com, a Life Coach and an Adjunct Professor. He has earned his Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease.

Justin's HIV Journal

Friday, June 12, 2009

Justin B Smith from Justin's HIV Journal has been smoking since the age of 17. He is 29 years old so he has been smoking for about 12 years.

According to TheBody.com, people with HIV disease are more likely to smoke than healthy people. Smoking can interfere with normal lung function in healthy people. In people with HIV, smoking can make it more difficult to fight off serious infections. People with HIV disease are now living longer. Smoking and related problems can interfere with long term quality of life.

Smoking weakens the immune system. It can make it harder to fight off HIV-related infections. This is especially true for infections related to the lungs. Smoking can interfere with processing of medications by the liver. It can also worsen liver problems like hepatitis.

People with HIV who smoke are more likely to suffer complications from HIV medication than those who don't. For example, those who smoke are more likely to experience nausea and vomiting from taking HIV medications. Smoking increases the risk of some long-term side effects of HIV disease and treatment. These include osteoporosis . HIV treatment slightly increases the risk of heart attack, but smoking is the major controllable risk factor for heart attacks or strokes.Recent studies found that quitting smoking reduced heart attack risk in HIV patients more than other factors such as changes in medications.

People with HIV disease who smoke are more likely to develop several opportunistic infections related to HIV. They are more likely to develop thrush, oral hairy leukoplakia (whitish mouth sores), bacterial pneumonia, pneumocystis pneumonia. For women, smoking can increase the risk and severity of infection with human papillomavirus, this increases the risk of cervical cancer.

A recent study found that smoking among people with HIV was linked to a higher rate of death. This was true for current smokers and ex-smokers; the greatest increase in the risk of death -- 60% -- was for cardiovascular (heart) disease and some cancers.

On a more personal note he is asking you guys to help him quit with your word of encouragement and prayer. Please feel free to comment on his blog, youtube, myspace or facebook pages.

Justin B Terry-Smith

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About Justin B Terry-Smith

My name is Justin B Terry-Smith, I'm a Black Gay man living in Laurel, Maryland and I am HIV+. I've decided to share my story because I feel it's important that people who have unprotected sex know what they might be getting themselves into. People have asked me why I am doing this, why have I put my personal business out like this. I tell them it is to help educate people, to make them aware and to make them think twice about having unprotected sex. This is my personal journey that needs to be told to help the community.
HIV is neither glamorous or a rite of passage. Watch the Journal and think twice.
In the words of Pedro Zamora, "I'm not dying. I'm living with it"